A heartbroken Fife mother has hit out at the “sick” thieves who desecrated the grave of her stillborn baby.
Emma Tabb, 26, said she is considering removing all tributes from the graveside of baby Elise after it was targeted twice in the past 12 months.
Balloons to celebrate what would have been the youngster’s first birthday, along with teddy bears and other tributes, had been stolen or moved from the plot in Dunfermline Cemetery when father Ryan Griffiths, 29, visited earlier this week.
Speaking to The Courier at her home in Inverkeithing yesterday, Emma said that she was struggling to cope with the repeated heartache.
“I can’t take this anymore,” she said.
“It’s been just over a year now but we’re still grieving.
“When I heard about this happening again I just came over with a sense of hopelessness there’s just nothing you can do to stop it and I started crying.”
Baby Elise was stillborn on August 22 last year and buried at the cemetery on Halbeath Road.
However, shortly afterwards her grave was targeted by thieves, who stole some of the tributes placed there by the family.
To mark what would have been her first birthday, parents Emma and Ryan once again decorated their baby’s plot last weekend.
However, having been to visit the site on Tuesday evening, Ryan was horrified to find that vandals had once again targeted his daughter’s resting place.
Police have launched an appeal for information, with Inspector Ian Flynn branding the act as “despicable and utterly disrespectful”.
Asked how she felt about those responsible for desecrating her daughter’s grave, Emma, a mother of two other children, said: “They are sick, sick vandals.
“It was only her grave that was targeted and now I feel like taking everything down. But we don’t have a garden of our own so we can’t put up any memorial here.
“They weren’t expensive items, just things from the pound shop, but it’s nothing to do with the cost but the sentimental attachment you have with them.”
The incident took place between Saturday and Tuesday evening and anyone with information is asked to call 101 or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111.